1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gun barrels, and more particularly to a porting system for the discharge gases when firing a gun.
2. Related Art
Known firearms generally experience recoil and muzzle climb due to discharge gases when the firearm is fired. Recoil is created by a forward momentum of the bullet and results in a rearward acting force upon the firearm and the shooter. Additionally, muzzle climb creates an upward movement of the barrel when firing the firearm. Recoil and muzzle climb typically increase with the size of the bullet or projectile. Moreover, the weight of the firearm may also increase recoil and muzzle climb. Recoil and muzzle climb may cause shooters to flinch or hesitate when firing the firearm, thereby resulting in lost control of the firearm. Additionally, muzzle climb and recoil may lead to fatigue in the shooter and may inhibit the shooter's ability to fire the firearm long term. Recoil and muzzle climb further cause the firearm to move out of alignment with the target with each shot fired. As such, recoil and muzzle climb greatly decrease the shooters accuracy.
Several known firearms use ports or conduits formed in the barrel of the firearm to direct gas flow from the firearm so that recoil and muzzle climb are reduced. In particular, the porting of the barrel enables the venting of the gases in a generally upward direction during the firing process. The venting of the gases opposes the forces that generally cause muzzle climb and/or recoil. However, known porting systems generally include equally spaced ports. Because the gases in the gun barrel are not equally distributed, the equally spaced ports are typically ineffective in controlling the velocity of the gases escaping the barrel. Additionally, known porting systems include slotted or trapezoidal shaped ports. Unfortunately, these ports may not be effective in reducing the velocities of the gases escaping the barrel. As such, these ports may be satisfactory for a long barrel gun, particularly a shotgun, but such ports may cause splitting of the barrel and negatively impact the integrity of the barrel when used with firearms having short barrels.
A need remains for firearm barrel ports that significantly reduce the velocities of the gases exiting the barrel, and further reduce the risk of stress fractures created by sharp corners in the barrel, so that the porting system would be effective for any type of barrel, long or short.